Emergency coupling



March 15, 1932. w SITEMAN 1,849,553

EMERGENCY COUPLING Filed April 8, 1929 INVENTOR, M'Z/z'am 61422 6271017 A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES WILLIAM G. SITEMAN, OF MONTA GUIEl CITY, MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY COUPLING Application filed April 8, 1929. Serial. No. 353,346.

This invention relates to improvements in emergency draw bar rigging for connecting railway cars.

An object of the invention is to provide such a rigging that may be readily applied for the purpose of connecting two railway carstogether in the event the automatic cou pling mechanism becomes broken or disabled on one of the cars.

At the present time, when one of the draw bars break, the train men, or crew, resort to the use of a short heavy chain for making a temporary connection. The use of such chain is slow and difiicult to apply requiring the employment of at least two of the train men.

My present invention comprises a device that may be readily applied in connecting two freight cars together. It consists, in general, of a pair of separable hinged jaws or jointed collars that are provided with roller bearings. These jaws are designed to be placed on the axle of the disabled car, then closed and secured together. The other end of the emergency draw bar device is provided with a suitable construction for attachment to the draw bar of the adjacent car, that is not disabled. Located between the ends of this device are several chain links and a compression spring.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the device in use, as applied to a car axle and draw bar respectively.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view showing one end applied to a car axle.

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the collars or j aws open, and

Fig. 4 is a detail view partially in section, on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail: j

1 designates a car axle, 2 the usual draw bar head of an adjacent car, 3 and 4'designates a pair of collars that are pivotally connected to the ends of the links 7 and 8. These links are pivotally connected to the sleeve or bearing block 9, by means of the bosses and pins 10, as shown. 12 is a main pull rod which slides loosely in the sleeve block 9. 13 is a nut and washer for receiving one end,

of the compressionspring 14; its other end rests against the end 15 of the sleeve block 9. 16 are a series of chain links that are connected at one of their ends to the pin 17 of the pull rod. Their other end is connected to the pin 18 which is located in openings in the side links or plates 19 and 20. 21 is a pin at the upper ends of the links or plates 19 and 20. This pin rests upon the draw bar 2 which is understood to be unbroken. The plates 19 and 20 are placed, as shown, back of the on head portion 2 and on the shank 2, when in use.

The jaws 3 and 4 of the other end of the device carry the roller bearings 21 which engage the axle 1. The free ends of the collars 3 and 4 are secured together with the pin 22 in the openings 23, when in use. In practice, the ointed collars assume a position intermediate of the length of the axle 1 since the draw bar 2 is in the center line of the adjacent car. The compression spring 14 serves to take up and relieve shock in starting the train.

It will be seen that I have produced an emergency draw bar rigging that is simple in construction and inexpensive to construct. It is efficient and easily applied and removed.

It is obvious that one pair of the jointed collars 3 and 4 may be omitted and a single pair only employed. The rollers 21' may be of any suitable construction, as cylinders, or spherical balls with suitable cages may be used. In practice, the pin 22 may be permanently retained in openings 23 to operate as a hinge bolt and a removable pin at 5 employed, as desired.

What I claim is:

An emergency draw bar rigging for attachment to a car axle and draw bar, respectively, comprising a pair of pivotally connected areshaped members for attachment to and partially surroundingia car axle, roller bearings mounted on the said members for engaging the car axle, means for pivotally securing the arc-shaped members together at their outer ends when on the car axle, a sleeve block, two link members pivotally connected to the inner ends of said arc-shaped members and to said sleeve block respectively, a draw or pull rod slida-blein the sleeve block, a comum pression spring on the pull rod for the purpose of relievmgtension caused by a sudden pull, a stop device on the pull rod against which one end of the compression spring rests and its other end against the sleeve block, means connected to the pull rod for attachment to the opposite sides of the shank of a draw bar of an adjacent car comprising a pair of spaced plates, pins connecting the upper and lower ends of the platesyand a series of chain links connecting the pull rod and the lower pin of said spaced plates.

In testimony whereof, I havesubscribed my name this 22nd day of March, 1929.

WILLIAM G. SITEM-AN. 

